TUESDAY, Aug. 31 (HealthDayNews) -- In September, more than 300 hospitals and clinics across the United States will offer free "Legs for Life" screenings to identify risk factors for potentially deadly vascular diseases.

These include peripheral vascular disease (PVD), stroke, abdominal aortic aneurysm and diseases of the veins.

The national screening program is in its seventh year.

"Nearly 300,000 people have been screened since we began this program, which consistently has found that one out of every four participants is at significant risk for PVD or other serious vascular conditions," Harvey Wiener, 2004 national chairman of Legs for Life, said in a prepared statement.

PVD -- clogged arteries in the legs -- is a potentially life-threatening condition and is also a risk factor for other serious vascular diseases. Women may be more likely than men to have PVD without experiencing symptoms, potentially putting them at increased risk of developing serious disease before it's diagnosed and treated.

People who take part in the screenings will be asked to complete a lifestyle questionnaire that helps determine their risk for PVD. They may also have their blood pressure taken and be given an ultrasound.

Certain locations will also use risk assessment questionnaires and other methods to screen people for risk of vascular diseases such as abdominal aortic aneurysm, stroke and venous disease.